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Interesting article?
Ref:India vs Pakistan - Evaluation on Military Strengths | Aby The Liberal
India vs Pakistan - Evaluation on Military Strengths
Dmitri August 6th, 2007
India and Pakistan have been at loggerheads on the Kashmir issue since their independence from Imperial Britain in 1947. After the independence and partition into two countries, Pakistan chose to be an Islamic republic and aligned with USA in the Cold War. India on the other hand, chose to remain politically neutral and chose a democratic government while keeping military ties with former-USSR. These choices turned out to the the turning points in the political and military future of both these countries and it decided the present state of Indian and Pakistani military strengths which we will evaluate below.
It must be noted that what follows is not an evaluation of military power in combat situations, but of military strengths based on currently available manpower, equipments, infrastructure, command and strategy. Future military plans and projects are not discussed due to uncertain and volatile nature of such plans, often subject to cancellation, failure or modification.
[YOUTUBE]
A documentary video on the 1971 war between India and Pakistan which was the only military conflict between these two countries involving sea, ground, air and missile forces .
Military Budgets and Economic Impact
Pakistans defence budget for the year 2006-07 was $4.1 billion (~3% of GDP) in response to Indias hike in defence budget of 2006-07 at $20.11 billion (~ 2.5% of GDP). Pakistans hike in military budget would be partially funded from its government coffers and partially by borrowing while India would fund its military spending from its own funds. The growing tensions between both this countries and Indias ambitions have lead to such huge defence spendings despite their widespread poverty and socio-political problems. India gets away with such a high military budget owing to its democratic government and a fast growing trillion dollar economy which gives it greater purchasing power. Pakistan does not have it as easy as India in its military development particularly because of its mounting international debts and a series of military dictators creating political instability. In most of its wars Pakistan relies on US material and military support in contrast to Indias funding from its own resources.
Manpower and Ground Forces
India has the second largest manpower in its military globally - at 3,773,300 personell (2005), next only to China. Pakistan has a much smaller manpower of 1,449,000 personell which is proportionally higher than India in terms of their population ratios. Pakistans ground forces are equipped with American or Chinese weapons like FIM 92 Stinger SAMs, BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles, T-82 tanks and other equipments. Indian ground forces are equipped mostly by home-made or Soviet technologies like IR guided 9K35 Strela-10 SAMs, 3rd Gen IR guided Nag anti-tank missiles, UAVs and a large inventory of tanks and support vehicles. In terms of numbers and equipments, both Indian and Pakistani ground forces are on an closely equal footing.
Comparison of Air Forces
As of 2006, Indian Air Force (IAF) has over 170,000 personnel and 3,382 aircrafts of which 1,330 are combat aircrafts operating off 61 airbases - making it the fourth largest air force in the world. Indias strike fighters consist of Russian and French aircrafts like Mikoyan MiG-29, Dassault Mirage 2000, Sukhoi Su-30 - the last one developed under dual licensing by HAL, Indias aerospace industry in Bangalore. In addition to these, Indias air force owns ground attack aircrafts, reconnaissance aircrafts, UAVs and support helicopters - a majority of them either of Soviet or French origin.
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has about 530 combat aircrafts and over 65,000 active personnel, operating out of 9 airbases. Its strike fighters consist of US, Chinese and French fighters like F-16 Fighting Falcon, JF-17 Thunder and Dassault Mirage ROSE-III. It also has transport aircrafts like Lockheed Martin C-130 and Airbus A310, however there are no UAVs or reconnaissance aircrafts in the Pakistani Air Force.
Naval and Sea Based Forces
After the overwhelming losses in the 1971 war against India, Pakistan rapidly increased the size of its naval fleet which doubled in the 1980s after a massive 3.2 billion dollar military and economic aid by US President Ronald Reagan. At present, Pakistans navy owns over 45 vessels , most of them of US or European origin which include submarines, destroyers, frigates, patrol and mine warfare boats. It operates from its sole naval port in Karachi and naval facilities in UK, USA and France. It had recently been involved in various humanitarian operations during the 2005 Tsunami in South East Asia. Indian Navy on the other hand, is a three dimensional naval force consisting of missile-capable warships, an aircraft carrier, mine sweepers and a host of marine aircrafts; most of its warships indigenously built in its own dockyards. The navy operates from its major naval bases in Visakhapatnam, Mumbai, Goa and the Andaman Islands. Indian Navy has significant capabilities of being a true blue water Navy and is experienced both in war and peacekeeping operations in the Indian Ocean.
The Nuclear Club
India tested a nuclear bomb in 1974 using materials from Canada and technical help from Soviet Union. However the embargo in heavy water export from Canada after the test stalled Indias nuclear ambitions till 1998, when it shocked the world by conducting five nuclear detonations termed as Shakti tests. The highest yield was by a 48 kiloton staged fusion device, which India claimed was a thermonuclear bomb but seismic data on the tests proved otherwise. In the same year 1998, Pakistan conducted a series of six nuclear detonations in a test termed as Chagai. The highest yield was reported to be about 25 kiloton from a two stage boosted device. At present Pakistans nuclear stockpile is slated to be around 30-40 warheads while India possesses 70-100 warheads. The nuclearisation of India and Pakistan became a turning point in the history of conflicts between these two countries with high tensions but no war, not very much unlike the US vs USSR Cold War.
Ballistic and Cruise Missile Proliferation
In the nuclear delivery front, both India and Pakistan have a series of ballistic and cruise missiles in addition to ground attack aircrafts. The maximum range among Indias operational ballistic missiles is 2000 km achieved by Agni-2. Indias Agni ballistic missiles are indigenously developed by its own missile defence industry known as IGMDP. The maximum range among Pakistans missiles is by Hatf V Gauri which is reported to do over 2200 kms. Pakistans Hatf missiles are based on North Korean No-Dong series of IRBMs. Both Pakistans Hatf and Indias Agni ballistic missiles are nuclear capable. India has also developed a supersonic cruise missile BrahMos which is by far the fastest cruise missile at Mach 2.6 and maximum range of 290 km. It is reported to be nuclear capable but it is not confirmed yet. On the Pakistan side, its Babur cruise missile has a reported range of 700 km and a maximum speed of 880 km/h (Mach 0.7). As with India BrahMos, Babur is also reported to be nuclear capable but there is no confirmation yet.
The Final Verdict
Both Pakistan and India are almost evenly matched head to head in nuclear and missile fronts, however India has strategic and technological superiority over the conventional forces of Pakistan. Indian Navy is larger in fleet and personnel size with a more varied range of ships including an aircraft carrier while Pakistans Navy is smaller and has no aircraft carriers. Indians IAF is equipped with highly capable fighters like 4.5th generation Su-30s and 4th gen Mirage 2000s which are technologically superior to Pakistan PAFs F-16s and Mirage IIIs. Additionally Indian pilots are better trained and more capable in air combat than Pakistani forces as was demonstrated by its various wars with Pakistan or joint exercises with US and UK. In the area of conventional ground forces both the Indian as well as Pakistani Army is well equipped and highly trained to survive in extremities of topography and climate in combat conditions, like wars in the high Himalayas.
If a purely conventional war were to take place between both these countries, India would most likely overpower Pakistan owing to its superior military technology and infrastructure, larger manpower, more territorial area and a strategic advantage in its sea and air forces. It must also be noted that a war between these two countries will matter more than Indias conventional superiority as both these nations are nuclear powers on an equal deadlock. India has maintained a no first use nuclear policy on the lines of a similar policy by China while Pakistan does not have any such policy, considering their only hope against India is in nuclear deterrance. It would be risky for India at the present scenario to go into any aggressive war against Pakistan as the repercussions would be serious a nuclear devastation for both countries.
Interesting article?
Ref:India vs Pakistan - Evaluation on Military Strengths | Aby The Liberal
India vs Pakistan - Evaluation on Military Strengths
Dmitri August 6th, 2007
India and Pakistan have been at loggerheads on the Kashmir issue since their independence from Imperial Britain in 1947. After the independence and partition into two countries, Pakistan chose to be an Islamic republic and aligned with USA in the Cold War. India on the other hand, chose to remain politically neutral and chose a democratic government while keeping military ties with former-USSR. These choices turned out to the the turning points in the political and military future of both these countries and it decided the present state of Indian and Pakistani military strengths which we will evaluate below.
It must be noted that what follows is not an evaluation of military power in combat situations, but of military strengths based on currently available manpower, equipments, infrastructure, command and strategy. Future military plans and projects are not discussed due to uncertain and volatile nature of such plans, often subject to cancellation, failure or modification.
[YOUTUBE]
A documentary video on the 1971 war between India and Pakistan which was the only military conflict between these two countries involving sea, ground, air and missile forces .
Military Budgets and Economic Impact
Pakistans defence budget for the year 2006-07 was $4.1 billion (~3% of GDP) in response to Indias hike in defence budget of 2006-07 at $20.11 billion (~ 2.5% of GDP). Pakistans hike in military budget would be partially funded from its government coffers and partially by borrowing while India would fund its military spending from its own funds. The growing tensions between both this countries and Indias ambitions have lead to such huge defence spendings despite their widespread poverty and socio-political problems. India gets away with such a high military budget owing to its democratic government and a fast growing trillion dollar economy which gives it greater purchasing power. Pakistan does not have it as easy as India in its military development particularly because of its mounting international debts and a series of military dictators creating political instability. In most of its wars Pakistan relies on US material and military support in contrast to Indias funding from its own resources.
Manpower and Ground Forces
India has the second largest manpower in its military globally - at 3,773,300 personell (2005), next only to China. Pakistan has a much smaller manpower of 1,449,000 personell which is proportionally higher than India in terms of their population ratios. Pakistans ground forces are equipped with American or Chinese weapons like FIM 92 Stinger SAMs, BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles, T-82 tanks and other equipments. Indian ground forces are equipped mostly by home-made or Soviet technologies like IR guided 9K35 Strela-10 SAMs, 3rd Gen IR guided Nag anti-tank missiles, UAVs and a large inventory of tanks and support vehicles. In terms of numbers and equipments, both Indian and Pakistani ground forces are on an closely equal footing.
Comparison of Air Forces
As of 2006, Indian Air Force (IAF) has over 170,000 personnel and 3,382 aircrafts of which 1,330 are combat aircrafts operating off 61 airbases - making it the fourth largest air force in the world. Indias strike fighters consist of Russian and French aircrafts like Mikoyan MiG-29, Dassault Mirage 2000, Sukhoi Su-30 - the last one developed under dual licensing by HAL, Indias aerospace industry in Bangalore. In addition to these, Indias air force owns ground attack aircrafts, reconnaissance aircrafts, UAVs and support helicopters - a majority of them either of Soviet or French origin.
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has about 530 combat aircrafts and over 65,000 active personnel, operating out of 9 airbases. Its strike fighters consist of US, Chinese and French fighters like F-16 Fighting Falcon, JF-17 Thunder and Dassault Mirage ROSE-III. It also has transport aircrafts like Lockheed Martin C-130 and Airbus A310, however there are no UAVs or reconnaissance aircrafts in the Pakistani Air Force.
Naval and Sea Based Forces
After the overwhelming losses in the 1971 war against India, Pakistan rapidly increased the size of its naval fleet which doubled in the 1980s after a massive 3.2 billion dollar military and economic aid by US President Ronald Reagan. At present, Pakistans navy owns over 45 vessels , most of them of US or European origin which include submarines, destroyers, frigates, patrol and mine warfare boats. It operates from its sole naval port in Karachi and naval facilities in UK, USA and France. It had recently been involved in various humanitarian operations during the 2005 Tsunami in South East Asia. Indian Navy on the other hand, is a three dimensional naval force consisting of missile-capable warships, an aircraft carrier, mine sweepers and a host of marine aircrafts; most of its warships indigenously built in its own dockyards. The navy operates from its major naval bases in Visakhapatnam, Mumbai, Goa and the Andaman Islands. Indian Navy has significant capabilities of being a true blue water Navy and is experienced both in war and peacekeeping operations in the Indian Ocean.
The Nuclear Club
India tested a nuclear bomb in 1974 using materials from Canada and technical help from Soviet Union. However the embargo in heavy water export from Canada after the test stalled Indias nuclear ambitions till 1998, when it shocked the world by conducting five nuclear detonations termed as Shakti tests. The highest yield was by a 48 kiloton staged fusion device, which India claimed was a thermonuclear bomb but seismic data on the tests proved otherwise. In the same year 1998, Pakistan conducted a series of six nuclear detonations in a test termed as Chagai. The highest yield was reported to be about 25 kiloton from a two stage boosted device. At present Pakistans nuclear stockpile is slated to be around 30-40 warheads while India possesses 70-100 warheads. The nuclearisation of India and Pakistan became a turning point in the history of conflicts between these two countries with high tensions but no war, not very much unlike the US vs USSR Cold War.
Ballistic and Cruise Missile Proliferation
In the nuclear delivery front, both India and Pakistan have a series of ballistic and cruise missiles in addition to ground attack aircrafts. The maximum range among Indias operational ballistic missiles is 2000 km achieved by Agni-2. Indias Agni ballistic missiles are indigenously developed by its own missile defence industry known as IGMDP. The maximum range among Pakistans missiles is by Hatf V Gauri which is reported to do over 2200 kms. Pakistans Hatf missiles are based on North Korean No-Dong series of IRBMs. Both Pakistans Hatf and Indias Agni ballistic missiles are nuclear capable. India has also developed a supersonic cruise missile BrahMos which is by far the fastest cruise missile at Mach 2.6 and maximum range of 290 km. It is reported to be nuclear capable but it is not confirmed yet. On the Pakistan side, its Babur cruise missile has a reported range of 700 km and a maximum speed of 880 km/h (Mach 0.7). As with India BrahMos, Babur is also reported to be nuclear capable but there is no confirmation yet.
The Final Verdict
Both Pakistan and India are almost evenly matched head to head in nuclear and missile fronts, however India has strategic and technological superiority over the conventional forces of Pakistan. Indian Navy is larger in fleet and personnel size with a more varied range of ships including an aircraft carrier while Pakistans Navy is smaller and has no aircraft carriers. Indians IAF is equipped with highly capable fighters like 4.5th generation Su-30s and 4th gen Mirage 2000s which are technologically superior to Pakistan PAFs F-16s and Mirage IIIs. Additionally Indian pilots are better trained and more capable in air combat than Pakistani forces as was demonstrated by its various wars with Pakistan or joint exercises with US and UK. In the area of conventional ground forces both the Indian as well as Pakistani Army is well equipped and highly trained to survive in extremities of topography and climate in combat conditions, like wars in the high Himalayas.
If a purely conventional war were to take place between both these countries, India would most likely overpower Pakistan owing to its superior military technology and infrastructure, larger manpower, more territorial area and a strategic advantage in its sea and air forces. It must also be noted that a war between these two countries will matter more than Indias conventional superiority as both these nations are nuclear powers on an equal deadlock. India has maintained a no first use nuclear policy on the lines of a similar policy by China while Pakistan does not have any such policy, considering their only hope against India is in nuclear deterrance. It would be risky for India at the present scenario to go into any aggressive war against Pakistan as the repercussions would be serious a nuclear devastation for both countries.
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